June 14, 2006, 6:40 PM PDT
2006 Pontiac Solstice First Take
Posted by: Kevin Massy

An Aggressive Red 2006 Pontiac Solstice arrived in our garage this afternoon, so we huffed and puffed and put the manual top down and set out to vent a little road rage in the San Francisco sun.

From the outside, the latest GM two-seater looks very sexy, with flared wheel arches and front fenders, gleaming 18-inch alloy wheels, and a split honeycomb front grille. And inside, the Solstice continues to walk the sports-car walk, with a short manual gear stick, red-on-white racing dials for the tach and speedometer, and a redline inviting drivers to venture up to 6,900 revs before shifting. Leather bucket seats, chrome-trimmed dials, and a leather-wrapped steering wheel add a refined footnote to the sporty script.

But behind the cosmetics, the Solstice is a less of a hot rod than its looks suggest--more of a sports-car simulator than the real thing. The first suggestion that it has more bark than bite is its low resting heartbeat: the thing idles at around 800 revs, meaning that it takes a whole lot of effort to get it up to any kind of attack speed. First gear seems to go on forever, and those driving in the city will find little use for anything higher than second, as the Solstice lacks the torque in third gear to keep up with the traffic flow. And the gearbox fails to redeem itself even when driven like a sports car; our senior car tech editor, Wayne Cunningham, found that his major complaint with the car was its inability to deliver a smooth transition when accelerating through the gears at speed. Running the Solstice up to 5,000 revs in second gear, then shifting to third causes the engine to plunge down to less than 3,000rpm with a dramatic loss of power.

The Solstice's manual shifter is in keeping with the rest of the car. From the outside, it looks like a sporty, short-throw stick, but this is a cosmetic device, as the transmission is anchored way beneath the part of the shifter visible to the driver, making for longer-travel shifts. Despite these gripes, the Solstice is really a fun drive, mainly thanks to its outstanding handling and suspension. Throwing the car through a series of twisting roads overlooking the Pacific Ocean, we were impressed with the responsiveness of the power rack-and-pinion steering and the firm feel of the four-wheel independent suspension and Bilstein monotube shocks. With the gas pedal floored, the Solstice makes a nice guttural sound when held to more than 4,000rpm, and it is here that the engine, and its driver, is happiest.

We didn't expect much in the way of cabin tech on the Solstice, so we were pleasantly surprised to be greeted with XM Satellite Radio (with track, artist, and category labels), as well as an MP3-friendly six-disc in-dash CD changer, and an auxiliary input jack allowed us to hook up our Creative Zen portable MP3 player. Sound quality from the optional seven-speaker Monsoon premium audio system is adequate; a subwoofer located behind the passenger seat kicks out a solid bass line, but range is limited, especially with the top down.

GM's Driver Information Center nestled in a dot-matrix LCD in the instrument panel displays trip information, current gas mileage, and range to empty. Our car was equipped with optional OnStar and a range of other optional packages, which gave us cruise control, air conditioning, ABS, and (rather incredibly for an option) power windows.

Unsurprisingly for a soft-top roadster, there is very little cargo space in the Solstice. Other than a couple of CDs and a pair of sunglasses, which you can cram into a compartment directly behind the driver's seat, the only luggage that can be accommodated is a can of soda.

This is not a car in which you would want to commute to work or take on a long road trip, and the car's performance may not live up to its initial promise, but for a blast around on a summer afternoon, the Pontiac Solstice is a fun drive.

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June 14, 2006, 6:33 PM PDT
2006 Lexus IS 350
Posted by: Wayne Cunningham

Lexus brings us a sedan that performs like a sports coupe yet encompasses its occupants in luxury. I drove the 2006 Lexus IS 350 at a press event last year and was pleased to finally get one in for review. We took it out for our initial impressions, and besides a few odd quirks, the car is superior in every way. Our test car's base price of $35,440 gets a $10,000 boost with the Luxury package, Dynamic Radar Cruise Control, and navigation, which includes the premium Mark Levinson sound system.

The 3.5-liter, 306-horsepower V-6 smoothly rockets the car forward, while the smart six-speed automatic, realizing that a smashed gas pedal means full power, holds the gears up into the red. In fact, on my fast-launch tests, I watched as the tach needle spun around until a red ring lit up in the electroluminescent gauge, dropping down at the upshift. This car doesn't show a redline at any given time, as the engine will adjust its top RPMs depending on circumstances. Some people have complained that the car doesn't have a manual transmission option, and Lexus added paddle shifters to make up for the fact. I don't think the paddle shifters are an adequate substitute, but I also don't think this automatic needs any human interference. It's really smart, and at no time did it act in a way I didn't want. It might be telepathic.

The handling feels really good, too. Lexus loads its cars with serious electronic road-holding equipment, packaging it under the moniker VDIM. In the IS 350, power and braking are modulated to prevent wheel slip but allow fast acceleration and cornering, something not every carmaker has mastered.

Our test Lexus IS 350 came loaded with the trifecta of tech: navigation, Bluetooth cell phone integration, and an excellent stereo. I paired up my Motorola V551 right away, then made a call using the touch-screen keypad. It muted the stereo, and the call came through clearly. It didn't copy over my contact list, and I didn't see any way to store phone numbers, but I'll have to dig deeper into the system to find out if it has that capability. It also includes a voice-command feature, but in my initial drive, it didn't work that well, which means it's not as intuitive as the voice-command system found in the 2006 Honda Accord EX. I'll have to dig deeper into that, as well.

The nav system is very nice, with points of interest that include all sorts of retail businesses. I often use Home Depot as a test destination, and I had no trouble finding the nearest 280 of them using the IS 350 nav system. A predictive-entry keypad on the touch screen let me input the letters, then it showed all corresponding businesses. As a nice extra touch, the keypad had an interesting graphic design, much better than the gray keys found in so many other systems. When inputting a street address, the system showed me the location on a map, along with eight arrows radiating outward that let me fine-tune where exactly I wanted to go. It also offered three different route options. The voice guidance gave ample warning for turns and always seemed to keep up with the actual location of the car.

The screen also displays audio system controls, some of them redundant with controls around the CD slot at the bottom of the stack. The 300-watt premium Mark Levinson audio system uses 14 speakers to produce extraordinarily clear, rich, immersive sound. Music sounds incredibly good in this car, and it takes thoroughly modern sources, including either MP3, WMA, or DVD discs and music from MP3 players through an auxiliary jack in the console box. My only complaint is that the screen doesn't easily display song, artist, and album information. I had to dig down through some menus for it. But let me just say it again because one sentence doesn't emphasize the point enough: this audio system makes music sound fantastic.

But wait, there's more. The luxury feel of the interior materials is very, very nice. The switch gear makes soft, precise clicks. The seats have cushy, soft centers but firm bolsters to prevent sliding around during sport driving. My colleague Kevin pointed out that the material used for the roof liner and the interior pillars felt like cashmere. This is a car you want to spend time in.

Given this car's success with performance, electronics, and interior comfort, I'm not sure why anyone would want to buy one of Lexus's more upscale GS or LS models. When we get those cars in, though, I'm sure they will justify themselves.

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June 14, 2006, 3:25 PM PDT
Moto Q for just $50?
Posted by: Bonnie Cha

Motorola's going out on a limb again and promising some very enticing offers regarding the Moto Q. Speaking at the 17th Annual Bear Stearns Conference, Ron Garriques, president of Motorola's Mobile Division, said sales of the Moto Q have been doing so well that he predicts carriers will drop the subsidized price from $200 to $50 by the end of the year. He also likened the Q's success to that of another hit cell phone for the company--a little thing called the Razr--and said he expects the GSM/UMTS version to launch by the end of the year. We really hope the company can deliver on these promises, but we all know Motorola doesn't exactly have the best track record when it comes to product-release dates.

Sources: Brighthand, Qusers.com, and SeekingAlpha.

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June 14, 2006, 3:04 PM PDT
Acoustic Research HD510: surround-sound speakers that Martha Stewart could love
Posted by: John P. Falcone

On the surface, the Acoustic Research HD510 home-theater system looks and sounds like pretty much any other 5.1-channel surround speaker system. But the $900 package has a secret identity: It's got a special line of covers that allow it to blend into any home environment. The satellite speakers can be placed into decorative stands or covers--ranging from planters, wall sconces, candleholders, clocks, and even fake books--while the beefy 10-inch subwoofer can be hidden away underneath a variety of trunks. The result is a recipe for domestic bliss: the Martians get their 5.1 surround sound, while the Venusians get to keep the living room free of those ugly, intrusive speakers.

The speaker covers come in dozens of varieties, so it's easy to mix and match them to specific home-decorating needs, such as existing color schemes and styles. Most of them are in the $30-to-$60 range, though some of the subwoofer covers may run as high as $100. But they're not just cardboard cutouts; the covers have real heft to them, and they've been specifically designed to be "acoustically transparent," with the sound emanating from cleverly disguised grilles. The speakers include a cover/no cover toggle so that the sound quality can be optimized when listening in either mode; you may wish to buy covers for the front three speakers and leave the back two unstealthed, for instance. But don't try to use these covers with the petite speakers from any other similarly sized "lifestyle" speaker system--the covers are specially designed to fit snugly around the HD510 speakers and subwoofer, to elimate any unwanted rattling or echoing.

To see the full assortment of Home Decor covers available for the HD510, check out arhomedecor.com.

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June 14, 2006, 2:35 PM PDT
Hybrid hard drives needed for Vista laptops
Posted by: Matthew Elliott

It looks like hybrid hard drives are set to take off. TG Daily reports this week that Microsoft has stated that laptops will need a hybrid hard drive if they are to run the Premium blend of Vista with all its bells and whistles enabled--the Aero interface and SuperFetch feature, to name two. (A hybrid hard drive includes up to 1GB of flash memory, which allows for fast data access and low power consumption.) Laptops will need such a drive by June 1 of next year if they care to be emblazoned with the Vista Premium logo. Without such a drive, a laptop will run only the vanilla Vista Basic. Listen closely, and you can hear the hybrid wings of Samsung's and Seagate's hard drive factories kicking into overdrive.

CNET Labs' Dong Van Ngo, who peeped a hybrid hard drive at WinHEC last month, has more here.

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June 14, 2006, 1:12 PM PDT
XM Pass coming this summer
Posted by: John P. Falcone

The XM Pass plug-and-play satellite radio tuner unveiled at January's Consumer Electronics Show will begin shipping later this summer. The minireceiver--just 1.3 inches wide by 1.65 inches long by 0.44 inch deep--will retail for $30. As with any XM tuner, the XM Pass, formerly known as the XM Passport, requires a $13-per-month XM satellite radio subscription. But unlike stand-alone satellite radios (or even svelte XM portables such as the Pioneer Inno and the Samsung Helix YX-M1), the XM Pass will eventually let you transfer that single subscription between a variety of compatible devices.

It's a great idea--listen in your car, at home, or on a portable, and just carry the tiny CompactFlash-size card in your pocket--but you'll have to wait until late 2006 or early 2007 for a wider variety of compatible products to become available. For now, only the Samsung Nexus includes an XM Pass module--but it plugs into the player's car- or home-docking kit, which is why the Nexus can't receive live satellite broadcasts when it's undocked. In the meantime, Audiovox will sell home and car XM Pass docking stations for $30 apiece. The home version replaces the venerable CNP1000, so it's backward-compatible with any of the dozens of XM-ready products already on the market. But by this time next year, don't be surprised to see a bevy of products--everything from portable DVD players and A/V receivers to boomboxes and car stereos--that have an XM Pass slot.

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June 14, 2006, 12:55 PM PDT
Philips announces new MP3 player lineup
Posted by: James Kim

Philips yesterday announced three new MP3 players. The sleek $249 GoGear HDD1850, the 8GB version of the 6GB GoGear HDD1630, features a 1.5-inch color screen, MP3, WMA DRM 10, and photo playback, and it boasts a rated 18 hours of battery life. It is available now.

Philips also introduced two new flash players, the $149 SA9100 and the $199 SA9200. The identical units are based on the glossy-black touch-sensitive design of the hard drive models, and they feature a color screen, 14 hours of battery life, an FM tuner, a voice recorder, and photo playback. These sleek and sexy devices will ship in August (SA9200) and September (SA9100) and will compete directly against the Samsung YP-Z5, the Apple iPod Nano, the iRiver Clix, and the SanDisk Sansa e200 series. The announcement of the 30GB HDD6330 was strange, as the device has been out since late last year.

Philips also announced a new PVP running Portable Media Center software. See the blog posting here.

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June 14, 2006, 11:59 AM PDT
2007 Acura RDX
Posted by: Wayne Cunningham

Acura heats up the new crossover utility-vehicle segment with its 2007 Acura RDX, a tech powerhouse with Acura's first turbocharger. I spent a day driving the RDX at a launch event here in San Francisco and found a lot to like about this darty little car, plus a few oddities. The RDX is a whole new car for Acura, small and SUV-like but never intended for off-road. It's for city dwellers who spend weekends skiing or bicycling, and it offers enough cargo space for two bicycles.

The RDX will be offered with a similar tech package that came with our Editors' Choice-winning 2006 Acura RL. That means Bluetooth, voice command, premium stereo with DVD audio, and navigation with real-time traffic. We've reviewed the nav and voice-command system on Acuras and Hondas, and we give them a thumbs-up. The traffic reporting is a nice addition. Bluetooth integration works well but doesn't copy contacts into the car's database.

The stereo system in the RDX is big news, as the premium system was tuned by Elliot Scheiner, producer of hit songs such as the Eagles' "Hotel California." This surround-sound audio system uses 10 speakers, including a center channel and subwoofer, along with two amps, 310 watts for the main speakers and a separate 100-watt amp for the subwoofer. According to Elliot, Acura was surprisingly accommodating in adjusting interior pieces for his preferred speaker placement. The hardware in the system is by Panasonic, and the head unit has a six-disc changer that plays MP3 and WMA CDs. It's set up for XM radio and has an auxiliary input.

The sound quality is very crisp and immersive, with excellent definition in the front seats. In the backseat, the rear-mounted tweeters came on a bit strong, but an adjustment to the fader took care of it. Although there are equalizer controls available, I found the audio almost perfect at the default settings. I just made the aforementioned fader adjustment and gave the bass a slight boost. I didn't feel the audio was as deep as in other systems I've heard, but the range of music Acura had available was limited to adult easy listening--Seal, Elton John, Dire Straits, and the like. When we get this car into our offices, I'll want to test it with classical and some real rock.

The power train in this car is intriguing and a bit quirky. Its four-cylinder, 2.3-liter i-VTEC engine is complemented by a two-stage turbocharger. This is the first two-stage turbo used on a gasoline engine. It opens one valve at lower engine speeds, then has a flap that opens at higher engine speeds to force more air through. The idea is that it works well through the entire range of engine speeds, as opposed to most turbos, which give their boost at lower engine speeds. I would say it's mostly successful, adding to acceleration from a stop and while running at 70mph down the freeway. But the acceleration from a stop doesn't feel all that dramatic (we don't have 0-to-60mph numbers yet). Also, the acceleration isn't smooth, something common to most turbocharged engines. I felt a few power pulses on the car's way up to speed, something that doesn't happen with a six-cylinder.

This engine power is run through a five-speed automatic transmission that includes a Sport mode and paddle shifters. The paddle shifters work in either Drive or Sport mode, although most of their effect is in the latter. In Drive mode, the car quickly reverts to full automatic, but in Sport, the paddles hold the gear until the car tach gets into danger territory. The paddles are fun and let drivers pretend they are F1 racers, but they're difficult to operate when the wheel is cranked way around on a hard turn.

The RDX gets a trimmed-down version of the RL's Super Handling All-Wheel Drive system. This system can run 70 percent of power to the rear wheels and shift 100 percent of that rear-wheel power to either the left or right rear wheels. I pushed it around a couple of tight corners, and the handling felt very good, without much understeer.

In fact--and this is one of the car's quirks--it does offer a sports-car-like driving experience, but I couldn't get over the upright seating position. The car felt like it could be worked hard into the corners, but I'm used to having my rear much closer to the ground for that type of driving. Sitting upright created a psychological barrier to attacking a corner at speed. Toward the end of the drive, I could tell I was overcoming that feeling and wanted to find some more twisty roads.

One other criticism is that the interior of the car doesn't have a strong luxury feel. It does have great fit and finish, and the materials all look solid, but it lacks that old-world heaviness characteristic of European luxury cars. All the controls click precisely into place, which is good, but they lack a certain refinement.

Overall, I like the 2007 Acura RDX. Its interior space and utility are decent, and the tech package comes with truly useful gadgets that work well. It's fun to drive, beyond the turbo quirkiness. Acura chose to crease the sides--I would have preferred a smooth look, like on the 2006 Nissan Murano. Although the RDX's exterior may not generate a lot of excitement (what other Acura has?), the driving experience and the utility seem likely to make the car a success.

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June 14, 2006, 11:46 AM PDT
Bluetooth info at a glance? Not so fast
Posted by: Kevin Massy

The Bluetooth Special Interest Group today released a series of symbols that let consumers know at a glance which functions a device is able to perform using Bluetooth's short-range wireless profiles. Dubbed the Bluetooth Experience Icon Program, the five white-on-blue symbols inform potential buyers of Bluetooth-enabled products, whether a device supports any of five major wireless functions, including Print; Input (for devices that allow wireless data upload); Headset (for hands-free calling); Transfer (for Bluetooth devices that can send and receive data); and Music (for devices that have the ability to wirelessly stream audio, also known as A2DP, or Stereo Bluetooth).

However, for those looking to buy a phone to make hands-free in-car calls, the process is more complicated than finding a phone with a headset symbol. Due to variations in Bluetooth chip programming, some phones work with certain cars and not with others, while each Bluetooth-enabled car model supports only a limited number of phones.

Fortunately, help is at hand: CNET's Car Tech channel is working on a comprehensive Bluetooth compatibility wizard to enable drivers to see which phones work with which cars and vice versa. Stay tuned.

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June 14, 2006, 10:30 AM PDT
More Web 2.0 viruses and worms to come?
Posted by: Robert Vamosi

After the release of Yamanner worm, researchers at SANS Incidents.org posted a warning that new exploits will use JavaScript and Ajax-like behavior to spread in the future. More troubling is this statement: "After testing several popular Web applications, we have found that several are in fact vulnerable to the very same type of exploit." The researchers will be contacting the affected vendors privately. There's also a report that the author of the Yamanner worm contacted various security companies looking for work. Of course, the individual (who may not be the worm's author; he offered no evidence to support his claim) was turned down.

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